Flanging-clamp.



J. H.y OPTENBERG. PLANGING CLAMP. APPLIA'LION PILIVID PEB. 24, `1903.

PATENTED JUNE 11903.Y

' No MODEL UNITED STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FLANelNe-ctAm-P. 1

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letterslatent N o. 729,959, dated .Tune 2, 1903. Application led February 24, 1903. Serial No. 144,573' (N0 mOdeL) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY -OPTEN- BERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sheboygan, inthe county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsim have invented certain vnew and useful Improvements in Flanging-Clamps; and I dohereby declare that thefollowing is a f ull, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates. to clamps intended especially for use in forming fianges on boilerplate or heavy sheet-iron and the like; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, as will be fully set forth hereinafter in connection with*l the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the said drawings, Figure'l is a view in side elevation of my improved clamp, partially broken away or in section to better illustrate certain `details of construction. detail plan View of one end of the device with the handle-nut and upper end of the screw retrieved. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sectional detail views, both taken on the line 3 4 in Fig. 1, 4but looking in opposite directions, as-

indicated by the arrows. Fig. 5 yis a detail View of a portion oftheupper part of one of the end standards, drawn to an enlarged scale and showing the opposite side from that shown in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the same taken on the line 6 G in Fig. 5.

Referring by numerals to the said drawings,

1 2 represent the end standards, the upper` per section 5 has verticaldepending guidestrips 6 6, secured in pairs adjacent to each end thereof by bolts 7 7, which strips straddle the lower section 3 close to theinner faces of the end standards 1 2-an d'which strips are Afurther formed with series of'holes 8 8 therethrough, those in one strip being in line with those in the opposite strip of each pair. The opposed faces of the sections 3 5 are -cut away at each end to form the horizontal Fig. 2 is a.

lrecesses 9, and the ends of the upper section `5 are forked,.so as to leave open slots or recesses 10, communicating with the said recesses 9, these recesses being for the reception ofthe bell-crank levers 11 and the screws 12, projecting from the upper end of one arm 0f each lever and rigid or integral therewith, the upper end of each `screw terminating in a reduced round tip 13. These levers are laterally enlarged at the junction of theirtwo arms, as shown at 14, and transversely perforated therethrough, whereby they are secured in place by the pivot-bolts 15, while the inner end of the lower arm of each lever has` pivotally secured thereto a pair of rollers 16 16. A foot-lever 17 projects from the upper arm of each lever, and in addition a hand-lever 18 is adapted to fit over'the tip 13 of the lever-screw 12. -19 419 ar'e the handle-nuts, which engage with the screws 12 12.

The bifnrcated upper ends of the standards l 2 are formed withregistering series of transverse holes therethrough for the reception of the said pivot-bolts 15, the holes through one side being simply cylindrical bores 20 20, while those through thebpposite side and which are marked 21 2l are each partly closed by a semi-annular stop 22. Each pivot-bolt 15 has a central projection 21 at one end of reduced diameter, the outer end of which is fitted with'another semi-annular stop or flange 23, while the oppositen end of the said pivotbolt 15 is formed with a heavy bent portion 25. The upper clamp-section 5 is' provided with a clevis 26 for lifting the clamp with a crane when necessary.

Heretofore with the hanging-clamps in general use the upper section has been generally raised and lowered by means of ,screws operated by hand-power, andv onegreat objection has been the length of time required for-adjustment and changezof the`sheet=iron or heavy boiler plate on whicl1straight flanges are to be turned, asv often the material,- particularly heavy plate, Whichmust be heated for the Hanging operation, would get cold before 'gettingV same in proper position in thelclamp for bending, Whereas my present device is very quick in operation. When the parts are in the position .shown in Fig. 1, in order to receive the work the levers 11 (with their screws 12) are pulled downward hy the footlevers 17 or hand-levers 18, or hotl1,wl1ich action will raise the upper clampsection 5 by means of the inner orlowerarms of said bell-crank levers 11 to admit of the plates or other work to be flanged being placed on thelower clamp-section 3, and then the upper section is instantly brought down upon said work or material by throwing the levers 11 up or back to their former posit-ion, with the screws l2 in upright position, and the handlenuts 19 are turned till they engage with the top of the upper section 5, and the work is thereby quickly and securely clamped ready for bending.

In order to vary the distance between the opposed faces ot the clamp-sections 3 5, according to the shape or thickness of the inaierial to be ilauged, the pivot-bolts 15 are removed and the levers 11 are raised or lowered, as required, until the transverse bores through the levers are in line with the proper holes 20 21, and then the pivot-bolts 15 are inserted to secure them in their adjusted positions. In order to withdraw the said pivotholts l5, they are given a half-turn, so that their end I'langes 23 willbe free from engagement with the upper stops 22 of the holes 2l, when they can be pulled out, and when replaced in their adjusted position the weighted ends 25 will serve to keep the flanges 23 uppermost and against the stops 22 just named, thus providing a quick and automatic lock. It' itis desired when the upper section 5 has been raised to retain it in that position while the pivot-bolts l5 are being changed, then pins can he thrust through the proper holesv 8 in the guide-strips (i, so that said pins will rest on the upper face of the lower clampseetion 3 until said pins are removed. lf, however, there is not to he any change in the location of the levers 11 for the next operation, it is only necessary (after the handlenuts 1f) have been loosened) to drop the screws l2 to the fullest extent, so that their outer ends shall incline below a horizontal line and with the footlevers 17 bearing against the outer surfaces of the end staudards, and then the upper clampsection 5 will remain in its raised position until the levers 11 are again moved.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Ina flangiug-elamp,the combination with a pair of end standards, having forked or bifurcated upper ends, of a lower clamp-section immovably secured to said end standards; an upper clamp-section, formed with open slotted ends having vertical movement in the forked upper ends of the standards; bellf crank levers pivoted to the end standards, for raising the said upper clamp-section, screws rigid with and extending from said levers through said open slotted ends oi the upper 'clamp-section, and clamping-nuts on said screws. v

2. In a ilangingclamp,the combination with a pair of end standards, having forked or bifurcated upper ends, of a lower clamp-section having its ends immovably secured within the upperends ot' the standards, and recessed on their upper surfaces; an upper clamp-section formed'with open slotted ends and communicating under side recesses, having verti-` cal movement in the forked upper ends of the standards; bell-crank levers pivoted to said end standards, the lower arms of said levers normally resting in the said recesses in the elamp-section ends,and the upper arms of said levers normally extending into the open slotted ends of the upper clamp-section; foot-levers and screws projecting outwardly from said upper lever-arms through the said open slotted ends of the upper elamp-section; and handle-nuts on said screws.

3. In a flangingclamp,the combination with a pair of end standards, having forked or bifurcated upper ends, and a series of transverse registering bores therethrough, the bores on one side being partly closed by semiannular stops, of a lower clamp-section immovably secured to said end standards; an upper clamp-section having open slotted and recessed ends vertically movable in the forked upper ends of the standards; transverselybored hell-cran k leverslocated within the said forked upper ends ot' the standards, for raising the said upper clainp-section; screws and levers rigidly secured to and extending outwardly from the upper arms oi' said bell-crank levers through the open slotted ends of the upper clamp-section; clamping-nuts on said screws; and pivot-bolts extending through the transverse hores of the said bell-crank le vers, and through any opposed pairs of the transverse registering bores in the forked upper ends of the standards, one end of each pivot-bolt being shouldered and formed with an outer semi-annular iange, and the opposite end of said pivot-bolt having a bent weighted portion.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Sheboygan, in the county of Sheboygan and State of VVscousin, in the presence oi' two witnesses.

JOI-IN HENRY OPTENBERG.

Witnesses W. C. RoENlTZ, F. HERONEIMES.

ICO

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